Love's True Colours
by Paranoid Blue
Summary: Dean and Cas hate their neighbour. One has a stick up his ass and the other is loud. They can't stand one another, until they meet.


**_Guess who's back! Have I been away long? I've forgotten. I got so much done in the time including GISHWHES! That's right This is a Gisher talking to you right now. You should totally do it. Seriously! I also got a story published. It's in a story collection for a rather poorly known Irish literature festival but It's still a book. I'm 18 now too. Legal adult bitches...Probably not wise but there we are_**

**_Anyway. I was asked to write a short story for my English class and decided to write an fanfic with different names. I then decided to change the names back to normal and publish it here so enjoy and perhaps review? Enjoy it though, that's the more important thing! _**

**_Also, this is Destiel. No hints like my previous fics. Definitely 100% Destiel. Sorry if it turns you off._**

* * *

It was a strange unexplained event. Some claimed that aliens had done it, others believed that the Government had tried an experiment only to have it fail. Fundamentals howled that it was divine wrath while scientists bowed their heads over their instruments and furiously conducted research. Oh the whole, no-one was sure and as years went by, then decades, then centuries, people just got on with it until eventually, they didn't even notice it anymore.

It was into this world that Castiel Novak was born, on a stunning Autumn day. Not that he noticed for Castiel had the same mysterious ailment as everyone else. His world was black and white.

It was an accepted fact that one did not see colour until they met their soul mate Until then they lived their lives in monochrome. Some people met their soul mate when they started school, others met them in the new neighbour and some just lived in black and white forever. There was no guarantee that you'd ever see in colour.

Children simply had no concept of colour. Teachers skipped over it because how could you explain the blue of the sky or the yellow of a flower with no reference to go to? Special classes were set up for people who had found their soul mate where colour was taught. The age range varied from toddlers to those in their eighties though elderly class goers were rare. Once you hit 40 your chances of soul mate finding began to decline and by the time you hit retirement age your chances were very small indeed. It still happened but not with any great frequency.

Little Castiel or Cas as he was called by all, passed toddler hood with no difficulty. He sat quietly, learned shapes and occasionally reading. A very conventionally good child. As he grew (apart from a brief rebellious stage when he turned 9 and began exploring, often disappearing for hours on end and giving his poor parents more than a few grey hairs) he remained very much the same. Studious, dependable and slightly reclusive. That was Castiel.

Practically his polar opposite was a boy named Dean Winchester. Born into this world on a chilly winter day saw his parents saddled with a veritable hell raiser. Dean was a sweet kid and a momma's boy through and through but once out of her sight, he wreaked havoc on the neighbourhood. As a toddler he frequently ran off and couldn't sit still to save his life, as a child he stayed still only long enough to be fed before racing off to do, as his parents sighed "God-Kows-What". When he hit his teenage years he calmed slightly with the arrival of his younger brother Sam. Fiercely protective of his family, Dean was not to be crossed. If you wronged him or his brother, he would find you and you'd know about it. Impetuous, temperamental and fiercely loyal. That was Dean.

Despite their huge difference in personalities, these boys had a few traits in common. Both loved their families, both were highly intelligent and both were terrified of never meeting their soul mate. Dean dreamed of a white picket fence, 1.5 kids and a dog while Cas dreamed of a comfortable house, family dinners and perhaps a cat. Neither wanted to be alone. These fears were never uttered by either. They were kept inside and quietly worried over in the depths of night.

What if no-one liked them? What if they were seen as too weird? What if their soul mate had died? Similar questions buzzed around their heads whenever they had too much time to think so both drowned their thoughts in rock music and engineering for Dean and books and writing for Castiel

They both saw out their teenage years in this manner. Castiel studied whenever he wasn't writing and Dean fixed up cars when he wasn't studying. Both got high grades and upon graduating, both got accepted into the same college for different courses. Unbeknownst to them, they both also got housed in the same block, in neighbouring apartments. It was the start of a horrible relationship.

* * *

Castiel sighed loudly. His neighbour was blaring music again. It wasn't that Cas hated the music, despite his rather librarian-ish appearance, he did, on occasion, enjoy a good bit of classic rock. But he was trying to study for a big theology test coming up and the music had been incessant for weeks now. Fisting his hands in his messy hair he rose and banged on the wall next to his headboard

"Shut up" he called hoarsely"Please, for the love of all that's holy, shut up!"

What he got back was a shout of

"You can't see me but I'm holding up my middle finger, jerk. If you don't like it, get out!"

Castiel gritted his teeth

"This is my apartment too you assbutt. You can't just tell me to get out"

He heard a faint raspberry blown through the thin wall and had to roll his eyes at the childishness. Then the music got louder. Clenching his teeth until it hurt, Castiel considered the merits of going next door and simply hitting his neighbour before dismissing the idea and gathering his things. He slipped quietly out the door making sure his neighbour had no idea that he had indeed left the apartment.

The next day, Dean was grimacing into the pillow. He had had a busy day and wanted a nap before having to go to work in the evening but his stupid neighbour was making it impossible. C. Novak, the man in question, had company and was not keeping it quiet. A particularly loud exclamation had him rolling of the bed, angrily striding over to the wall and banging on it.

"Hey can you keep it down" he growled "Some of us are trying to sleep here"

All he got in return was a groan and a loud thump. Clenching his fists and breathing deeply, Dean tried to calm down. There was no point in him going over, the front door wouldn't have been answered. Grabbing his phone off the bed, he angrily stomped over to the door and slammed it shut. He'd crash at a friend's place.

The door slam echoed into the apartment next door causing Castiel to snigger. Beside him on the bed, his friend Gabriel rolled over and burst into gales of laughter.

"I gotta say Cassie" he snorted "That was a delicious piece of revenge. I never knew you had it in you, you rebel you! I'm proud"

Castiel smirked and thumped the headboard again with his fist

Gabriel sniffed and fake wiped away a tear before clapping him on the shoulder

"Just desserts dude" he sighed happily "Is there anything better?"

Hopping off the bed, Cas reached under it and pulled out a wheely box

"I can think of something" he grinned holding out a packet of mini chocolate bars "It's special occasion, go nuts"

Gabriel laughed and hugged his friend.

"Dude you're the best" he smiled happily before ripping it open and tucking in.

* * *

Across the campus, a much less cheerful Dean was sitting on Jo Harvelle's sofa complaining like there was no tomorrow.

"...He's really annoying, and he wouldn't shut up today, it was obnoxious and he always has a stick up his ass whenever I do anything it's always thump thump thump on the wall and some prissy comment about studying. Ugh Jo. He's infuriating and I'm going to go over there and..."

Here Jo interrupted before Dean could continue his tirade

"Whoa dude" she placated "Are you going to stop for breath at all? I know I'm pre-med and all but I'd rather not have to perform CPR on your ugly mug"

Dean grinned sheepishly, chagrined.

"Sorry Jo he's just, ugh" he apologised and then as an afterthought added "And you'd be blessed to touch this face with your hands, let alone lips"

Rolling her eyes at her friends casual narcissism, Jo tossed her hair over her shoulder as she stood and went to make tea

"Easy there Winchester" she called "We can't risk your head getting any bigger. Heavens knows it's already big enough"

Dean laughed

"There's no danger of that when you're around, Harvelle" he returned

"Yeah, my razor sharp wit will burst that overinflated ego balloon in a second" she retorted

Dean floundered around for a comeback.

"Yeah...well...don't uh, don't cut yourself on that, er" he offered lamely

He didn't even need to look around to know the snarky eyebrow raise Jo was levelling at him.

"Okay, okay" he sighed "That was pathetic wasn't it...Don't answer that" he added quickly before whining "You can't blame me, I didn't get any sleep last night"

Jo's second eyebrow joined the one already in the air.

"And who's fault is that?" she asked pointedly

"Mine okay" Dean muttered "I stayed up too late talking to Sammy. I miss him. Kansas is a long way away from here"

Jo smiled sympathetically.

"So how about you reserve your mighty wrath until the guy deserves it more" she offered "I'm sure you haven't been an absolute dream yourself"

Dean glared sullenly at the floor. Jo picked up the kettle.

"Alright" he allowed "I may have been blasting music loudly and ignored his requests to turn it down"

"Well there you are" Jo crowed triumphantly "Ignoring you is the _least_ I'd do"

"Don't I know it" Dean grumbled good-naturedly as he settled back into the sofa and closed his eyes. "Now hush. I want to nap"

Jo shook her head fondly as Dean shuffled around trying to get comfy. He may be a huge muscled tough guy now, but to her, he was till the crybaby troublemaker of her old neighbour.

* * *

The next few weeks were relatively peaceful. Dean kept his music to a respectable level and in return, Castiel wasn't any louder that necessary. The two inhabitants carried on with their lives as peacefully as ever.

Both quietly nursed the thought that perhaps, they could simply forget about their troublesome neighbour and get on with their lives. That was, until whatever tentative truce they had was shattered.

It was Gabriel's fault, but then, if you talked to anyone who knew him, it was generally Gabriel's fault.

Despite living within three feet of one another, Dean and Castiel had never laid eyes on one another. Their lives just didn't work that way. Neither did their friend groups overlap. Were it not for the fact that at the start of term they had agitated each other so much, they wouldn't be aware of the others existence.

So when one day, Dean came back early and saw a short man with longish curly hair spray painting lewd images on his door, he did what anyone would do and yelled at the man. Short stack, as Dean called him, started upright and ran into the apartment next to Dean. The door slam made the sun reflect of the small, white name plate bearing the letters C. Novak.

Dean was furious. Marching up to the door he hammered furiously on it. No reply. Knocking again got no response.

"Novak!" Dean roared

"Open this door you cowardly, insolent, short bast-"

Dean was cut off mid sentence by the door flying open. The man who stepped out was definitely not the man who had run in. He was tall, he had tousled hair and, and...Dean squinted slightly, tirade momentarily delayed as his brain struggled to accept what was happening. Neurons fizzled, new pathways opened up and slowly, so very, very slowly, colour bled into his world.

* * *

Castiel was having a lovely day. He got home from work early and spent the afternoon stretched out on his bed reading with a cup of tea. There wasn't even any music next door so he could finally relax. This bubble of peace however, was rudely broken by a shout followed by a sudden door slam and the appearance of a very flustered Gabriel in his room.

"Uh, bathroom Cassie!" he blurted before running into the toilet and locking the door.

Castiel stared at the door puzzled. A few seconds later his confusion was lifted by a sudden banging and angry shouts. It took him a minute to place the voice by which time, another series of heavy knocking complete with some curses was happening.

Frowning, Castiel strode to the door and wrenched it open. Mouth open to refute any and all of D. Winchester's accusations against him for the imaginary crimes he was meant to have committed, he paused. Something fizzy was happening behind his eyes. It spread all over his body raising the hair on the back of his neck and sending a shiver down his spine. A sudden brightness filled his vision and he closed his eyes against the glare.

After the light had died down, Castiel opened his eyes and his mouth fell open. He could see colour.

* * *

Both men stood there for what felt like hours simply staring. It went on for so long that Gabriel snuck out to see why the shouting wasn't happening. Peering cautiously around Castiel's body, he noticed that neither was moving. They seemed, he shuddered at even mentally saying the phrase but there was no other way around it, they were lost in each others eyes. Actually, Gabriel mused, there was another way to describe this. It was definitely eye fuc-

The thought was halted mid word by the relocation of Dean's eyes to him. Gabriel shifted uneasily. Dean's eyes flicked back up to Castiel, then back down again. Then he slowly held out his hand to the taller of the two.

"Hi" he breathed "I'm Dean Winchester. I don't believe we've met"

Castiel grasped the hand as though in a trance.

"Hi" he croaked "I'm Castiel Novak. Call me Cas"

* * *

_**Almost forgot, despite my rambly AN up top I forgot to disclaim the characters so here we are. This is me not owning any of them despite how much I'd like to. **_

_**Read, Review and Enjoy!**_


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